Torque sticks?

[Jetboy]

Breakaway torque is an extremely inaccurate way of measuring what something is torqued to. And the quality and maintenance of an impact greatly varies the ability of the torque stick. mine is close to 8 years old since I replaced it last(accutorque 1/2 drive type) And I would say its still about the same performance. the impact needs to be able to over torque it inorder for the spring steel to function correctly. the impact guns/compressors most homeowners use aren't strong enough to effectively use a torque stick.

I agree. On the other hand, torque in generally is a piss poor way of measuring tension on the fastener - which is what really matters. So I figure finding an accurate way to measure a crappy measurement doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense - although I'm generally in favor of as much precision as possible. I'm just not sure we have many other better ways of doing this without building a testing tool with a load cell.

 

[Scott@Hightech]

What impact are you using or buying. If its craftsman, China freight, CP or something like that chances are it sucks. If its Snapon/Mac/Matco or Ingersoll rand then your probibly fine

 

[Ducmonsta]

What impact are you using or buying. If its craftsman, China freight, CP or something like that chances are it sucks. If its Snapon/Mac/Matco or Ingersoll rand then your probibly fine

I've got this sweet ass Snap On 1/2" cordless that effin rocks! A bunch of great guys gave it to me as a going away present. But even better is the Snap On air saw that I've used a ton of times.

 

[JKC2638]

Lots of good advice here. If you want to be precise then use a torque wrench. If you are looking for close, torque sticks are ok. When you use an impact gun all day you get to know it. Most techs can zip on lug nuts and not screw them up. When you have brake rotors that are "slip on" evenly torquing the lug nuts is important. Uneven torque can bend a rotor ever so slightly but enough to cause a brake pulsation over time. A torque stick helps with a more even torque. But like any tool if you don't use it correctly you can mess up what you are doing.